Toggle switch



' Dec. s, 193s.

c. l. smh A l 2,063,200

TOGGLE SWITCH Filed Feb. 16, 1935 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lib Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITEDA STATES PATENT OFFICE TOGGLE SWITCH Application February 16, 1935, Serial No. 6,774

8 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical switches and more particularly to wall switches for use in the wiring of rooms in buildings for light, power and portable electric devices.

AIt is a particular object of the present invention to provide a switch of compact design and special construction for use in connection with wall plates and gang boxes.

It is another object of the invention to provide a switch of this type having end terminals in order to permit the switch to be mounted in an outlet box, and a plurality of such switches to be conveniently mounted side by side in a single box as well as in a multiple gang box.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fully enclosed switch having an insulating body of only two parts joined to each other.

With these and other objects in view the invention provides a switch which is extremely simple in construction, easy to manufacture at a Very reasonable price and which facilitates itsassembly into gangs with other wiring devices.

The invention will be better understood from the description to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a snap switch embodying the invention showing the switch attached to a bridge plate adapted for mounting in an outlet box.`

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan of the switch casing without the switch lever on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective detail of a right hand contact plate.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a distance member.

Figure 8 is a sectional elevation on line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Figure 9 is a top plan of the switch cover.

Figure 10 is a bottom plan of the switch cover.

Figure 11 is a sectional elevation of the switch lever on line of Fig. 12. 4

Figure 12 is a side elevation of a switch lever assembly.

Figure 13 is a perspective View of a left hand contact plate.

Figure 14 is a side elevation of the switch cover.

Figure 15 is an enlarged perspective view of the switch casing, with part of the walls being 55 broken away for the sake of clearness.l

(Cl. 20o-67) Figure 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the switch casing with the walls intact.

Figure 17 is a -view similar to Figure 16 but taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 16.

Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, I5 repre- 5 sents a hollow switch casing preferably made of a single piece of phenolic compound and substantially rectangular in plan as well as in longitudinal and transverse elevations. The rear of casing I5 vis completely closed and the front is open. 10 The longitudinal vertical side walls |5| and |53 of the casing are solid and integral with rear wall |55 and transverse end walls |52 and |54, and each of these has a rectangular aperture vadjacent to bottom wall |55. In wall |52, this l5 aperture is close to side |5| and in wall |54l it is close to side |53. All of the Walls are thin and the interior faces of end walls |52 and |54 are reinforced in their middle portions by heavy rectangular vertical ribs |56,which extend from the 20 rear wall |55 forward to about the middle of the casing. Two tapered posts |51 of thin but long rectangular cross section extend inward from rear wall |55 to near the middle of casing I5, parallel to and spaced a short distance from walls 25 5| and |53. Between posts |51 and each adjacent side wall a small rectangular rib |58 is provided by thickening rear wall |55. At each'of the four interior corners of the casing |5 a Vertical slot |59 is provided parallel to walls |5| and 30 |53 at end Walls |52 and |54, which extends downward from the top of casing I5 to near the aforedescribed rectangular openings in these walls but not extending into these openings. The

front of casing I5 is closed by cover I6 which is 35 also preferably made from a single piece of phenolic compound. It fits into recesses provided n walls |5| and |53. The inner faces of flanges |62 of cover I6 lean against the outer faces, and vertical ends I6| against the end faces of these 40 recesses. The flange portions |62 of cover I6 whichts into the recessed portion of casing I5 is square in plan, and two opposite corners are provided with rectangular cuts so that the small faces |63 engage the inner face of side walls |5| 45 and |53 and prevent lateral motion of the cover when lodged upon the casing. On the square part |52 an octagon portion |64 is formed on the cover and the front portion |69 is rectangular in plan. The long sides of the rectangle extending in longitudinal direction of the casing when assembled thereon and. the short sides transversely' thereof. A rectangular aperture |65 is provided in this part of the cover for accommodation of the switch lever handle ISI. The rear side of cover 6 is hollow and provided with a deep but narrow transverse recess |66 for accommodation of pivot pin |93 which extends between the two longitudinal side walls |61. Two parallel deep narrow slots' |68 extend along the middle portions of these walls.

In this housing the following switch apparatus is assembled:

Two metallic contact support members |11 and |1L, each consisting of a metallic strap which is vbent angularly to provide a Along leg |1| and a short terminal leg |12. perpendicular thereto, the latter being provided with a terminal screw |16. Each part |1| is provided at its lower narrow edge with a notch I |13. 'Ihese notches are equally spaced from terminal leg |12 in both |1r and IIL. 'Ihe flat inner faces of |11 as well as of |1L have a contact spring |14 riveted thereto which 'extends on I1r from notch, |13 towards the free end of 1| and' on |1L in opposite'direction towards terminal |12. On the upper narrow edges shallow longitudinal notches I 15 are provided near |12. These contact supports are inserted into casing I through the rectangular openings in walls |52 and |54, duringwhich operation they are tilted over posts |51 and finally contact support |1r rests along the inside of.wall |5| and I 1L along the inside of wall |53 on the rear wall |55 guided by posts |51 and either by side walls |5| or |53. In that position the notches |13 engage ribs |58 which prevent horizontal withdrawal of the contact blades when in their places. In vertical direction, the two contact blades |11 and |1L are each held in place by a distance member 8 of sheet insulating material which is slipped downward into a pair of slots |59 adjacent to the same side wall. Projection |8| of each distance member 8 engages notch |15 of the top ledge of a contact blade |1 and corner |62 of distance member I8 is suitably cut that the lower edgeV of 8| may rest the contact blade within notch |15. The upper horizontal edge of distance member |8 is provided with a projection |83 which has a semi-cylindrical journal notch |84 in its top face'so positioned on dis` tance member |8 that when assembled it'lies in the transverse axis of the switch mechanism. The two distance members I8 are inserted in oppositedirections in a pair of slots |59 of casing I5 above contact blades |1 to be pressed down,

on them by cover I6.

The switch lever |9| shown in Figs. 1v1 and 12 consists of a handle I9| preferably of phenolic insulating material having one of its end portions formed into a relatively large lhub I 92 through which passes a plain cylindrical pin |93 preferably of steel that protrudes equal distances from opposite faces of hub |92. Opposite the handle I9I a recess |95 is cut into the periphery of hub |92. Upon pin |93 is mounted a U-shaped bridge member I 94 bent from sheet metal to form two parallel legs which are provided near their extremities with aligned apertures through which pivot pin |93 passes and then accommodate hub |92 between said legs. I'he bridge portion of |94 which joins the two legs to each other is provided with a tubular shaped aperture |99 through which passes the narrow portion of operator blade. |96 which is surrounded by a helical spring |91 The wider upper' part oi' blade |96 forms shoulders with the narrow portion'which lean against the upper end of spring |91 and thel extreme upper end of blade |96 leans against one Y corner of the recess |95 formed in hub |92. This Swih lever l is inserted intoth @Sing li when contactsupports |1 and distance men I8 are assembled therein as heretofore descr'.

so that pivot pin |93 rests on the two semicular journal notches |84 and bridge mem |94 in the hollow central part of the casing tween posts |56 in longitudinal and vposts |51 in transverse directions. (See Figs. 3, 4 and 5.)

Cover I6 is slipped over switch handle |9I which passes through rectangular aperture |65 therein while transverse recess |66 in the inner face of the cap slips over pivot pin |93. The two longitudinal recesses |68 slip over projections |83 of distance members I8 and corner notches |63 t into the corresponding corners of the casing walls 5| and |53.

The cap I6 is fastened to casing I5 by means of a metallic bridge plate 2| adapted to be held on the front opening of a wall outlet box 22 by means of screws 2|2. The rectangular front portion |69 of the switch cover |6 ts closely into a corresponding aperture- 20| in the center of wall plate 20 so that the front plane of this plate becomes ilush with the face on |69. 'I'he middle portion |64 of cover I6 which is preferably -5 wan plate zn is fastened to bridge pme 2| by screws 262. Bridge plate 2| is provided with two longitudinal downwardly directed integral ribs 2|I which extend along the outside of the side walls |5| and |53 of casing I5 and along the square portion I 62 of cover I6. These ribs form means to reinforce bridge plate 2| and to alineit with cover I6 and casing I5 during the assembling operation. When the complete switch isA assembled with bridge plate 2 I, it is permanently fastened thereto preferably by two drive screws 2|2 which are driven through apertures in the bridge plate 2| into corresponding apertures in lugs |59 of the casing l5.

In the completely assembled switch perfect split journals are provided for switch lever pin |93, one half of each journal being formed by the semi-cylindrical notch |84 in distance member I8 and the other half of the journal by the semicylindrical bottom of each transverse recess |66 in cap 6. Longitudinal motion of pin |93 is prevented by side walls |61 of the cap against which the end faces of the pin lit closely. 'I'he two legsdof bridge member |94 are guided between hub |92 and the longitudinal side walls of aperture |65 of the cover. When switch handle |9I is moved from the oi position shown in Figures 1 to 3, operator blade` |96 is moved downward and its narrow portion through the aperture 98 in thebridge of |94 while the shoulders on |96 compress the spring |91. When this compression is so far advanced that the distance fromgthe flat recess face |95 to the bridge of |94 is equal to the length of the blade between these elements, the upper end of blade |96 moves over to the opposite end of recess |95 and the expanding spring p the bridge member over to form an angle with the axlsof handle |9| o n the .opposite side thereof. This movement forces the legs of the bridge member |94 between contact springs |14 of |11 and I1L thereby closing the circuit betweenthe terminal screws |16 Vin 70 terminal |12 of contact supports |11-V and |1L. The forming of any arc which might be caused in opening or closing the circuit between contacts |14 and bridge member |94 is prevented by the posts |51 which act as arc barriers between these elements and by ribs |56 which act as arc barriers between the contact springs lll.

'I'he special combination of elements vin their relative positions producesan extremely small and compact toggle switch of the box type which not only may be mounted on a bridge plate for assembly on a wall plate but which permits the mounting of a, plurality of such switches directly A on a wall plate thereby eliminating the use of a kparting from the principle of my invention and I desire to be limited only by the state of the prior art and the appended claims.

l I claim:

1. In a switch, in combination, a casing of insulating material having an open front, a rear Wall,integral side and end walls, each endwall having a perforation for a contact support member adjacent to said rear wall at diagonally opposite corners, a pair of contact support members each extending from one of said perforations along one of said side walls, projections on said rear wall holding said support members against longitudinal and lateral motions, a groove formed at the interior ends of eachside vwall extending from said support to the open front of said casing, a distance member guided in each pairA of grooves, a journal groove on each distance member and 'a cover on said casing having an aperture and a pair of transverse recesses therein, aswitch handle passing through the aperture of said cover and a pivot pin for said handle journalled between the bottom walls of said recesses and the top of said distance member within the grooves therein.

2. In aswitch adapted for attachment to a wall plate or a bridge member having an opening, in combination, a box like casing of insulating material having an open front and consisting of a rear Wall, side walls and end walls integral with each other, recesses formed Vin the front edges of two parallel walls, a square-shaped cover closing the front of said casing having a base portion fitting into the recesses on said casing, notched corners interlocked with the casing Walls, a middle portion of polygonal shape above said base Yportion adapted to fit the opening in said bridge handle, a switch mechanism within said casing operable by said handle and positioned between said side walls, a contact support member at the inside of each sidewall having a terminal thereon passing through a perforation in one of said end walls and a recess in its bottom face and a lug on said rear wall adjacent each side wall engaging the recess in said contact member to lock it against longitudinal motion. 4 4. A switch casing of insulating material consisting of a rear wall, side walls-and end walls, all

of said'walls being integral with each other, a-

cover perforated for the reception of a switch handle, a switch mechanismI within said casing Y operable by .said handle and positioned between said side walls, a contact support member at the inside oreach side wall-having a terminal therelodged in slots formed at the other. two diagonal- Ksaid cover being provided with a recess forming a bearing for said pivot pin.

engaging the recess in the top faceA of said contact member, the top face of said plate being engaged by said cover forming means to secure said contact member and plate in iixed'position within said casing. l v 5. In a switch, in combination, a casing con sisting of bottom, side and vend walls, a hollow cover for` said casing, contact support members held in recesses in said end walls at two diagonally opposite corners of the casing and having ends ly opposite corners of the casing, a distant member slidably mounted in the slots of said casing between the top of said contact member and said 2-0 cover to hold said contact member in place, switching mechanism mounted in said casing having a handle extending through an aperture in said cover and a pivot pin for said handle mounted between said distance member and said cover.

6. A switch casing of insulating material consisting of a rear Wall, side walls and end walls,'all of said walls being integral with each other, a cover perforated for the reception of a switch handle, a switch mechanism within said `casing operable by said handle and positioned between said side walls, a contact support member at the inside of each side wall having a terminal thereon passing through a perforation in one of said end walls, a plate Abetween the top of said contact member and said cover and a pivot pin for said switchhandle interposed between vthe top of said plate and saidcover.

7. -In a switch, a casing including integral bottom, side and end walls and having an open front wall, a pair of posts each spaced from and parallel to each-of said side Walls, a contact positioned in the space between each post and side wall, each of said side walls being provided with a slotted portion, snap switch (mechanism including a pivot pin mounted inthe space between said posts, a removable bearing member for supporting said pin mounted in the slotted portion of the side wall and resting on oneof said contacts, and a removable cover for said open front,

8. I'n an electric toggle switch, a hollow body portion formed of insulating material and' having an open side, a member for covering the open side of said body portion, said member having a central opening, a pair of stationary contacts in said body portion, one of said contacts being positioned adjacent opposite sides of the body, insulating posts between said contacts to prevent arcing therebetween, each of said stationary con tacts being formed with a groove, a rib formed on opposite sides of the body portion adapted to engage the walls of the grooves of said contacts to prevent displacement of the contacts in one direction, a distance member in said bodyportion adjacent said stationary contact for preventing displacement of said contact in a diilerent direction, a movable contact pivotally supported by said distance members and adapted to be moved into contact with the stationary' members and an operatingfhandle connected to said movable contact and protruding through the opening in the cover member.

CHRISTOPHER I. SMITH. 

